With 6:14 remaining in the fourth quarter, head coach Vic Schaefer called a timeout following an 11-1 run by the No. 18 Kentucky Wildcats that brought the game’s margin within one point, at 49-48.
Schaefer’s team had only been trailing for 46 seconds throughout the game up until then — which came across two moments in the first quarter — and the timeout prevented their once-14-point lead from fully evaporating before he got the opportunity to talk to them.
“We just needed to stop turning the ball over,” Schaefer said about calling the timeout. “And we needed somebody to step up and make a shot. Really was disappointed in our execution. I was disappointed in our shot selection. … At times tonight, we really got outside of ourself, and we didn’t do things the right way.”
Kentucky’s sneaky comeback effort was an example of that. But after the timeout, Texas went on a strong 15-5 run to close out the Wildcats on Monday evening at Moody Center, 64-53.
Schaefer referenced golf terminology in his recap of his team’s 23rd win of the season.
“We made enough plays tonight to win the game on an ugly night,” Schaefer said. “So, they don’t ever write on the scorecard ‘ugly par’ — and they won’t write that down tonight on the win.”
A win is a win, especially when it comes to the Southeastern Conference, as Schaefer alluded to. Monday night’s victory won’t be looked back upon as specifically memorable. More than anything, it was an unusual offensive performance.
Things weren’t coming particularly easily for Texas in the flow of the game. Junior forward Madison Booker, who was averaging 19.4 points per game this season in SEC play, finished just 1-of-6 from the field. Graduate point guard Rori Harmon had only five points, while freshman wing Aaliyah Crump went scoreless and accumulated just four minutes of playing time.
What kept the Longhorns afloat, however, was the physical play of sophomore forward Justice Carlton, who led the game in scoring with 17 points on 8-for-12 shooting.
“If it wasn’t for Justice Carlton tonight, we don’t win the game,” Schaefer said.
Carlton’s spark arrived early, as she jump-started a Texas lead with 12 first-quarter points. Yet her biggest shot of the night did not come until the fourth quarter, when she hit a three-pointer with 3:54 remaining to extend the Longhorns’ narrow lead to six.
A shot-clock violation by Kentucky, one of 23 turnovers forced by the Texas defense, followed up with a layup from junior forward Breya Cunningham and free throws from sophomore guard Jordan Lee — the only player on either side to play all 40 minutes — restored Texas’ double-digit lead.
Lee seems to be on an upward trajectory after a month-long slump succeeding a hot start to her campaign. Schaefer has never been concerned about her production, and her backcourt partner does not seem to be either.
“We’re all human and are just basketball players, so we’re going to have moments where we’re not going to be perfect,” graduate point guard Rori Harmon said about Lee. “Obviously, she’s one of those players that it’s going to bother her. It’s going to probably cause her not to sleep at night, but she’s gonna wake up the next morning and get in the gym and fix what’s not working at the moment.”
At this stage of the SEC schedule, as is commonly stated in relation to the NCAA Tournament, it is survive-and-advance.
The Longhorns’ journey does not get any easier from here, with a quick turnaround and road trip to Tennessee on the menu next. Schaefer’s team tips off from Memorial Gymnasium against No. 5 Vanderbilt on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
